PM Sharon Convenes Meeting of the Ministerial Disengagement Committee
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Wednesday, 23 November, 2005

Prime Minister Sharon this morning (Wednesday), 23.11.05, convened a meeting
of the Ministerial Disengagement Committee in order to hold a further
discussion of regarding assistance to residents of the Gaza Strip and
northern Samaria. Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni
and various ministries' directors-general attended the discussion.

The Committee approved the establishment of a temporary residential site at
moshav Amatzia for 65 families from the evacuated communities of Katif and
Neveh Dekalim. The families' permanent residences will also be at Amatzia.
Preparatory work is currently underway at Amatzia, including the purchase of
mobile structures and public structures, preliminary ground work, the
construction of a water purification facility, etc. The Committee approved
NIS 26 million in costs for establishing the residential site. Prime
Minister Sharon said: "There is no doubt that building communities in the
south is very important and steps such as these greatly contribute to the
development of the area." Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Director-General
Ilan Cohen added that, "The vast majority of the residents will maintain
their communal way of life."

The ministers approved a plan for developing the ground and establishing
infrastructures for two additional communities - Halutzit 1 and Halutzit 4 -
that are due to absorb families from the Gaza Strip. The plan entails -
inter alia - preparing approximately 2,000 dunams of agricultural land for
greenhouses, drainage work, paving roads, water and electricity hook-ups,
fencing, etc. The committee approved an overall budget of approximately NIS
20.8 million for the establishment of these two communities. Halutzit 4 is
due to absorb a group of residents from Atzmona and farmers from throughout
Gush Katif. Halutzit 1 is due to absorb a group of residents from Netzarim
and additional farmers from throughout Gush Katif.

The ministers instructed the Construction and Housing Ministry to complete
construction of public structures at the following temporary residential
sites: Yad Binyamin, Yated, Yad Hannah and Ein Tzurim.

Prime Minister Sharon instructed SELA Disengagement Authority and Industry,
Trade and Employment Ministry representatives to formulate a plan to render
additional assistance to evacuees who have yet to find new jobs. This plan
will apparently include offering employers incentives to hire evacuees.

Prime Minister Sharon also instructed PMO Director-General Cohen to
cooperate with Government Companies Authority and Industry, Trade and
Employment Ministry representatives in coming up with a format to facilitate
the absorption into Government companies of employees from the evacuated
communities within a short time. PMO Director-General Cohen said that, "We
must constantly come up with creative solutions. We will cooperate on
formulating a plan to render additional employment assistance and submit it
to the Government for approval."

The ministers instructed Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry
representatives to operate a professional training program for evacuated
Gush Katif farmers in order to assist them in moving their activities to the
new areas the climate and ground conditions of which may be different from
what they had become used to. The ministry will offer two professional
training frameworks to Gush Katif farmers: One at the Hebrew University
Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot, where they will be able to study, five
days a week for one year, and the second at an experimental farm in the
Eshkol Regional Council area, one day a week for eight months. Agriculture
and Rural Development Ministry Director-General Yossi Yishai stressed that,
"This is an excellent opportunity to utilize the evacuated residents' time
for an important goal. Thus the residents will receive quality academic
training."

The ministers decided to provide assistance to families who are moving to
moshav Bustan Hagalil and are interested in developing tourist enterprises
in the area. These are 30 families from the Gaza Strip who are seeking to
establish permanent residences at Bustan Hagalil and work in tourism. The
Committee decided that a format would be formulated that would enable the
government to provide financial support to all families that establish guest
houses.

The ministers also approved budgetary assistance - in order to cover
expenses - to the city of Ashkelon, which is expected to absorb
approximately 60 families from Kfar Darom.

SELA Disengagement Authority Director Yonatan Basi informed the ministers
that contacts are currently being held with approximately 35 families from
Neveh Dekalim who would like to move to Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Sharon thanked everyone and said: "Preference for the Negev
and the eastern Lachish area is very important. These areas must be
developed; this is a priority of the highest importance."